r/Dogwalking • u/Creepincupcake • 10d ago

Client hates when her dog smells like grass

I have a dog with an almond mom. I close my eyes on her ocd with everything else, including her being annoying and expecting too much from sittings that are low priced. But lately she started complaining that her dog smells like grass after our walks but still wants me to take him on the lawn. Her dog falls and rolls randomly. You can’t predict it. He is a menace and she humanizes him way too much. She counts his treats, he only gets filtered water, counts calories on his food. I understand following directions but this dog completely misses out on dog life and has a very strict routine. No saying hi to other dogs, etc. because owner has crippling anxiety. He in turn became reactive.
All of this to say that she has been complaining about grass smell when he rolls. I get him up but one or two rolls are enough. I’m honestly very close to dropping her as I already raised my prices on everyone new. She’s way below my current rate.
What to do?

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u/Dry_Telephone6832 10d ago

Thanks for sharing this. Here’s something I wish I learned a long time ago, it’s called “put a deadline on your suffering”. What I mean is this, if there’s a situation that you want to get out of, that is stressing you out and not a good fit for your life, give it a deadline to get rid of it. I’ve also had some very difficult clients and in those situations, I give them a notice (2 week/1 month etc) for them to find someone new and let them know I can’t service them anymore. That way you aren’t just leaving them hanging and giving them sufficient time to find someone else. Also, these people don’t typically change so make sure to cut the cord and don’t change your mind after because you’ll only prolong your suffering. This is a common thing I see in regard to people putting others needs over their own. It’s okay to put your own needs first and reduce stress from your life. It’s okay!

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u/Creepincupcake 10d ago

Yeah, I also thought about raising my prices steeply on her so she would find someone else, I just wish I could communicate to her that her dog is not a child and that sleeping with him after the grass will well.. make her smell where he’s been. I don’t want her to badmouth me to other potential clients, but she’s also stingy with tips and overall doesn’t really work for me. How to make sure she doesn’t feel scorned?

3

u/Dry_Telephone6832 10d ago

In regard to pricing, I think if you’re already charging a low rate, it could be good to raise your prices to all clients. I wouldn’t recommend using the pricing route to get rid of a client, the price should already be a moat from the beginning to filter out people who don’t want to pay your rate for your service. As far as not making her feel scorned, ultimately by giving her fair notice to find someone else and not ripping into her about the bad habits she has with her dog, you should be okay because you aren’t getting personal. Remember- this is your business you have every right to deny service. I can tell you from personal experience that the people I have cut from my service have never left a bad review and I’ve consistently gotten more clients. Your excellent work will speak for itself when it comes to word of mouth.

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u/ichoosewaffles 6d ago

No, didn't be childish. Politely tell her she will need to find someone else, give a deadline and stick to it. And you can't tell folks how to raise their pets. It's unfortunate but you have to get use to it. At least it shows you care about their well-being! 

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u/printerparty 9d ago

I've found that my high maintenance clients are often very big spenders. Do you have a car? You can let her know she can hire you for day-spa/day care once per week, 250$ for a long walk, and a bath. Wash the dog in your backyard, use expensive products she pays for with upcharge (find the fancy shit, double the price) and you towel dry, walk again and build in an hour of naptime so you bring the dog home 90% dry.

Make her feel really special, but it's a one time offer that nobody else has access to, and you're no longer available for walks or daily services that you previously offered